Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Background

Ungrading is an innovative approach to assessment that relies on feedback rather than numerical grades to deprioritize (or remove) grades, but that has gone relatively unexplored in the psychology classroom.

Objective

The current study examined student perceptions of ungrading in three psychology courses.

Method

Using an inductive approach, we examined patterns and themes in student reflections across two time points (start and end of the semester) in three upper-division psychology courses.

Results

Students generally had positive impressions of ungrading, but stress around grade uncertainty was an area of concern.

Conclusion

Implementation of alternative grading methods has the potential for many benefits in the psychology classroom, but careful consideration is needed to overcome negative student perceptions.

Teaching Implications

Going gradeless is an intriguing option that may potentially impact student learning, engagement, motivation, mental health, and equity. This exploratory study offers insight into student perceptions of ungrading, which can help instructors who are considering this method.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alonso

(2023). Why are students so disengaged? Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/02/13/fight-student-disengagement-real-world-projects-can-help

American Psychological Association, APA Board of Educational Affairs Working Group to Revise the APA Principles for Quality Undergraduate Education in Psychology (2023). Principles for quality undergraduate education in psychology. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/principles-quality-undergraduate-education-psychology.pdf

Beck

H. P.

Rorrer-Woody

Pierce

L. G.

(1991). The relations of learning and grade orientations to academic performance. Teaching of Psychology, 18(1), 35–37. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328023top1801_10

Blum

(2020). Ungrading: Why rating students undermines learning (and what to do about it). West Virginia University Press.

Brookhart

S. M.

Guskey

T. R.

Bowers

A. J.

McMillan

J. H.

Smith

J. K.

Smith

L. F.

Stevens

M. T.

Welsh

M. E.

(2016). A century of grading research: Meaning and value in the most common educational measure. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 803–848. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316672069

Bruff

D. (.

(2023, September 5). Master assessment with Eden Tanner [Audio podcast episode]. In Intentional teaching. https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/mastery-assessment-with-eden-tanner/id1651034975?i=1000626780416

Butler

(1988). Enhancing and undermining intrinsic motivation: The effects of task-involving and ego-involving evaluation on interest and performance. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 58(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.1988.tb00874.x

Butler

Nisan

(1986). Effects of no feedback, task-related comments, and grades on intrinsic motivation and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(3), 210–216. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.78.3.210

Chamberlin

Yasué

Chiang

I.-C. A.

(2023). The impact of grades on student motivation. Active Learning in Higher Education, 24(2), 109–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787418819728

10.

Clark

Talbert

(2023). Grading for growth: A guide to alternative grading practices that promote authentic learning and student engagement in higher education (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003445043

11.

Costa

(2022). Systems aren’t scary. https://karenraycosta.medium.com/systems-arent-scary-e55d8ac63bc7

12.

Deci

E. L.

Ryan

R. M.

(1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Springer Science & Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7

13.

Denial

C. J.

(2024). A pedagogy of kindness. University of Oklahoma Press.

14.

Dobbs-Oates

(2021). Quick tips for teaching students how to reflect. Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, 3(3), Article 9. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/elthe/vol3/iss3/9

15.

Dweck

C. S.

(1999). Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Psychology Press.

16.

Dweck

C. S.

(2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Randon House.

17.

Dyer

(2024). Ungrading has an equity-related Achilles heel. Grading for Growth. https://gradingforgrowth.com/p/ungrading-has-an-equity-related-achilles?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=402085&post_id=140101581&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1kzlnl&utm_medium=email

18.

Eyler

(2022). Grades are at the center of the mental health crisis. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/grades-are-center-student-mental-health-crisis

19.

Flaherty

(2023). Student mental health and pressure to do well. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2023/06/29/five-ways-help-college-students-cope-academic

20.

Gorichanaz

(2024). “It made me feel like it was okay to be wrong”: Student experiences with ungrading. Active Learning in Higher Education, 25(1), 67–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874221093640

21.

Guberman

(2021). Student perceptions of an online ungraded course. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 9(1), 86–98. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.9.1.8

22.

Howard

J. L.

Bureau

J. S.

Guay

Chong

J. X. Y.

Ryan

R. M.

(2021). Student motivation and associated outcomes: A meta-analysis from self-determination theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(6), 1300–1323. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620966789

23.

Innovations in Assessment and Grading at the University of California (2022). https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/mar22/a3.pdf

24.

Kalbarczyk

Miller

Majidulla

Tarazana-Meza

(2023). Exploring the implications of implementing ungrading in two graduate-level global health courses. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 9(4), 244–251. https://doi.org/10.1177/23733799231169204

25.

Kohn

(2011). The case against grades. Retrieved from https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/case-grades/

26.

McCloud

L. I.

(2023). Keeping receipts: Thoughts on ungrading from a black woman professor. Zeal: A Journal for the Liberal Arts, 1(2), 101–105. https://zeal.kings.edu/zeal/article/view/25/19

27.

McNall

L. A.

Gravelin

C. R.

(2024). An exploratory study of student perceptions of ungrading in upper-level psychology courses. https://osf.io/ksbq5/?view_only=3c5ec8fb30294f80bdbe861ee85cf70b

28.

Poorthuis

A. M. G.

Juvonen

Thomaes

Denissen

J. J. A.

Orobio de Castro

van Aken

M. A. G.

(2015). Do grades shape students’ school engagement? The psychological consequences of report card grades at the beginning of secondary school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(3), 842–854. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000002

29.

Pulfrey

Buchs

Butera

(2011). Why grades engender performance-avoidance goals: The mediating role of autonomous motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 683–700. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023911

30.

Ryan

R. M.

Deci

E. L.

(2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

31.

Ryan

R. M.

Deci

E. L.

(2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. The Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1521/978.14625/28806

32.

Smiley

P. A.

Buttitta

K. V.

Chung

S. Y.

Dubon

V. X.

Chang

L. K.

(2016). Mediation models of implicit theories and achievement goals predict planning and withdrawal after failure. Motivation and Emotion, 40(6), 878–894. https://doi.org/10.1007/s1131-016-9575-5

33.

Stommel

(2020). Ungrading: An FAQ. https://www.jessestommel.com/ungrading-an-faq/

34.

Stommel

(2021). Ungrading: An introduction. https://www.jessestommel.com/ungrading-an-introduction/

35.

Talbert

(2022). What I’ve learned from ungrading. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/04/27/professor-shares-benefits-and-drawbacks-ungrading-opinion

36.

Thomas

D. R.

(2006). A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative evaluation data. American Journal of Evaluation, 27(2), 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214005283748

37.

Xiao

Carney

D. M.

Youn

S. J.

Janis

R. A.

Castonguay

L. G.

Hayes

J. A.

Locke

B. D.

(2017). Are we in crisis? National mental health and treatment trends in college counseling centers. Psychological Services, 14(4), 407–415. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000130

38.

Zhao

Feng

G. C.

S. H.

Liu

P. L.

(2022). Interrater reliability estimators tested against true interrater reliabilities. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 22(1), 1–232. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-022-01707-5

An Exploratory Study of Student Perceptions of Ungrading in Upper-Level Psychology Courses

Abstract

Background

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusion

Teaching Implications

Get full access to this article

References